Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Image Not Available for Trafalgar Day program
Trafalgar Day program
Image Not Available for Trafalgar Day program

Trafalgar Day program

Date1970s
Object number00037223
NameProgram
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 211 x 149 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis printed program details the Trafalgar Day ceremony on board HMS VICTORY at Portsmouth Dockyard, 21 October. The order of service included the Psalm of Praise and Thanksgiving, the prayer written by Nelson on the eve of battle, and the General Order as given on board the EURYALUS on 22 October 1805 (after the battle) by Lord Collingwood.HistoryTrafalgar Day celebrates the victory by the Royal Navy under the command of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson over the combined French and Spanish fleets off Cape Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. The first large celebrations were held in Trafalgar Square in 1896. The day has been most often celebrated with dinners, parades and exhibitions across the British Empire. In the 21st century major celebrations were undertaken in 2005 for the bicentennial. Trafalgar Day is still widely celebrated in Commonwealth navies.SignificanceNaval customs and traditions are significant events in navies across the world with Trafalgar Day regularly being celebrated in the Commonwealth navies, including Australia.